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Beric Rowan
Beric Rowan is a half-drow from Breland, known for his devotion to the Silver Flame. He inherited a warlock pact from his parents and spent a long time trying to figure out what it was and what it wanted of him. History Beric is the son of a Brelish general from the Last War, Urik Rowan. She was known as controversial during the war, and while she retired a hero, she was always haunted by the war. After she died Beric inherited her journal, and the more he read from it the more he could tell that something was wrong. It lead him to Mistmarsh, a town in Breland. He was very drawn to the Faded Forest and would often casually mention checking it out in conversation.Ep. 1. Dancing With Shadows: Chapter One Through studying the journal left to him by Urik, he started learning a magic different than he was being taught in seminary. This magic seemed more powerful and more quickly accessed, and he left the church in favor of this new power.Ep. 8 Eberron Reviewed 2 Debating Politics With Terrorists Beric and Dex return with two prisoners in tow to find Crast beating the one they left, Malar Kurk, behind to a pulp. Dex tears him away and he leaves to cool off, and Beric steps in to question him. He starts with a simple question, if he's part of the Swords of Liberty, and right from the start the prisoner is uncooperative and responds by saying he's part of the organization that wants to eradicate the disease from Khorvaire, which does include the people in the building that was blown up. Change is made by everyday people, not the kings and queens of the world. If they held up the monarchy, they're not letting the people have a voice. Dex walks off to find Crast, and by the time he comes back Beric is crouched on one knee, explaining the importance of the monarchy. Judgement in Syrania Shortly after the party travels to Syrania, Beric is lifted into the air by strong angel arms. The angel, Gabriel, demands to know why they're there, and Beric tells him they're just passing through. Gabe declares that this is no place for a creature like Beric, a creature with darkness in him. Beric, thinking this angel might have some answers he's been looking for, starts asking his questions - and is met by anger and insults. He tries summoning Curse-Bringer, but the sword doesn't appear. In an attempt to explain why he and his friends are in Syrania, Beric mentions Farlan, and Gabe immediately turns and swoops back to where he snatched Beric from. The last time Farlan was there he was told if he ever came back he would be killed. Dex tries reasoning with the angel, telling him they're trying to save Eberron from the invading shadows, and Beric is part of that. Gabe is having none of that though, and is only pissed that they would bring "this thing," aka Beric, into his home. He snaps for some angels to help him and they're carried off to meet with the council of angels.Ep. 22 The Journey Back Chapter 1 When they're taken before the tribunal, Beric asks the head angel what he is, explaining that it's genuine ignorance and not a way of deflecting from the accusations. The angel has no answer for him, just claiming that whenever his kind enter Syrania they're fought off. Beric wonders if the power inside him is really evil like the angels claim. Before the angel can give their verdict, Farlan demands trial by combat. When Beric and Dex start to object the angel nods and agrees, and a warrior is sent out to fight them. Almost from the start the fight is over, with the angel getting thrown to the ground early and being incapacitated while the party attacks him. During the fight Beric feels a pain at the base of his skull and can feel Curse-Bringer try to reach him, but he only gets static and barely understood words. Later he can see for a moment his spear leave his hand and Curse-Bringer flashes into existence and then his spear is back, even though he wasn't trying to summon the sword.Ep. 23 The Journey Back Chapter 2 When the party finally finds their way back to Mistmarsh, Curse-Bringer appears, thought not summoned. Beric tries dismissing it and the sword falls on the ground. After an awkward pause Dex tries to pick it up, but Curse-Bringer shoots back into Beric's and and informs him that things will be different from now on. Beric starts to demand and explanation, but the sword disappears before he can finish his sentence.Ep. 24 The Journey Back Chapter 3 "Underground, look for cave." Beric learns from the giant Gulrock a little about the drow of Xen'drik. There are fire drow: walk, never stay; scorpion drow: city, never move, angry kill; ground drow: underground, look for cave. After consulting with Curse-Bringer, he's relieved to find out his father was Umbragen. Another thing Gulrock shares is that the elves, long ago, used to be slaves to the giants on the continent. Flamekeep After Paulo dies, Beric and the rest of the party, led by Gram, go to Flamekeep to talk to the Keeper of the Flame, intent on finding out why the resurrection spell failed. There, he tries once again to make contact with the Raven. To his surprise, he feels himself pulled towards the silver column of fire that Jaela uses to speak to the Flame. Instead of hearing Tira Miron's voice, he hears the Raven's. She's much colder than before. Her view of death has changed; while before she believed it should sometimes be stopped or undone, now she wonders why that could ever be. Death is death; it can't be wrong. Beric is upset hearing this, and Melissa even goes as far to imply that many wrongful deaths wouldn't have happened if she hadn't brought him back. He's indignant at the suggestion that this is somehow his fault. Melissa tells him it isn't wrong or unjust; it's simply fate, and fate can't be avoided, even by him. He tried running from his fate, but he's a soldier. He's always been a soldier. Belashyrra's Offer In the depth's of Khyber, Belashyrra appears in the dreams of Beric and his companions. An offer is made: don't speak of him or his deal, and Belashyrra will guide them to one of the Destiny Arms. Beric agrees. They're guided to some ruins of an ancient elvish city, and in order to open the sarcophagus that holds the artifact, they each step into separate alcoves - and are shut inside, each by themselves. Belashyrra appears to Beric, Booyah, Dex, and gives each of them an offer. He offers to give Beric the ability to know where the weapons are, if a creature is wielding them, and who that creature is. There's a steep price for that power, though: his eyes. Beric considers carefully, and not knowing another way of finding the weapons, agrees. Belashyrra swipes his hands across Beric's eyes, and blackness covers his vision. The Pact When Beric first inherited his warlock pact, he didn't know the power he was wielding. He started reading his mother's journal and learning its magic, unaware of what it would turn into. Over time he began to understand it more. After losing Draconos, Beric retreats to his family's estate in First Tower. He visits his mother's grave to have a talk with Curse-Bringer and manages to drag out small bits of information about the pact. Though it was passed down to him through his mother, the sword truly belonged to his father. It's through his bloodline that the power has been passed, and Curse-Bringer is dismissive of Urik's possession of it. Beric tries asking him what their purpose is, their mission, and who Curse-Bringer is. The sword answers in vague terms of fighting darkness and serving the light, and that he's part of a greater power.Ep. 13 Eberron Double Feature! Receiving Curse-Bringer Shortly after Beric, Draconos, and Dex arrive in Sharn in their search for Crast, time is literally stopped and Beric sees a vision of the past. There's a hooded figure walking with sluggish movements down the street to a waiting drow. He greets him in a low voice and talks of a coming battle, and that the drow's people will be needing him. The figure hands him a sword, and the vision fades. In real time Sharn, time is still frozen, and the figure appears before Beric. He tells Beric that Beric must do what his family could not, and when Beric questions how he knows his family the figure says they are one and the same. With that he's gone, and floating before Beric is the same sword that was passed to the drow. He feels a compulsion to reach out and grab it, but not in a greedy or malevolent way. He takes it, and time starts again. A voice in his head asks who he is and introduces itself as Curse-Bringer, and it's clear that it's the sword talking to him. Not knowing what else to do about it at the moment, Beric suggests they continue with their search for Crast and investigate the sword later.Ep. 9 Seeking the Teacher: Chapter 1 Fighting the Shadows The first of many times that Curse-Bringer gives Beric pause is shortly after arriving in Xandrar. The sword is greatly pleased when he cuts through some shadows and a shadow mastiff, but when it comes time to attack the Swords of Liberty, a terrorist group that has just blown up a building in Sharn, Curse-Bringer tells him to stop; these aren't the enemies of the light. Beric, mid-battle, hesitates for a moment, out of confusion rather than obedience. After a few rounds of ignoring the sword's demands to stop and the sword not explaining further, Beric becomes frustrated to the point of yelling at his sword while attacking his enemies. Eventually it's determined that Curse-Bringer is aware that they blew up a building; he just doesn't care.Ep. 15 Darkness Rising Chapter 2 Later he sits down to talk with the sword about the fight. They don't get very far before Curse-Bringer says that a dozen, or even a hundred innocent lives are worth the sacrifice, and Beric dismisses the sword. Death Beric, Therudak, Dex, and Sam are traveling through the jungles of Xen'drik when a man dressed in robes of the Silver Flame stumbles onto their path, begging to be killed. Tusks sprout from his jaw and Dex screams as he starts transforming unwillingly into his bear form. Beric swings for the cleric, and Dex manages to keep enough control to not attack his friends while they battle this wereboar. They think the battle is over when he gets thrown against a tree and knocked out, but another two wereboars burst onto the path and start attacking them. Beric manages to fight off the infection a few times, until finally he feels the corruption spreading through him. He focuses on finishing off the wereboar and then goes to the cleric. After everything has quieted down, he leaves to find the pack the cleric was holding that he's been told has wolfsbane in it, which can cure lycanthropy. Beric goes looking for the pack, but instead finds himself with a drow holding a blade to his throat. The drow (later to be revealed as Drakir) offers to bring Beric to his shaman, who's about twelve hours south. Beric considers and tells him he needs to inform his companions where he's going. When he gets back to the clearing with the others, Sam provides another solution: belladonna. A highly poisonous plant, but with the possibility of curing lycanthropy. Beric takes it without thinking. The cure doesn't work, and his strength drains. He starts walking back towards the drow, falls on the path, retches, and dies. Dolurrh Beric wakes in a landscape of gray and shadow with a hooded figure standing over him. He recognizes Curse-Bringer from when the sword was presented to him back in Sharn. He gets up and sees the scene of his death, frozen in time. Curse-Bringer tells him they don't have much time; they need to find a way back, through some place that coterminous with Eberron. As he talks Beric stands in shock; he died, he's supposed to join with the Flame. They come across the cleric who was infected with lycanthropy and watch a great light open up and welcome him into the Flame, and shortly after are attacked by some Sorrowsworn. Beric finds he can't cast spells, but he when he summons Curse-Bringer out of instinct, the figure disappears and forms into the sword. While fleeing from the creatures, they hear hoofbeats and a voice commands them to stop. Beric turns and sees a woman atop a great horse wearing flowing black cloak and a helmet in the shape of a raven's head. She dismounts and removes the helmet, and there before them is Urik Rowan. After a heartwarming reunion, Urik tells Beric about the queen she's serving in Dolurrh; the Raven. She helps souls find their way to the afterlife, and rules over the Shadar-kai - those who are stuck in Dolurrh until the pact is complete. Urik takes Beric to meet with her. They enter the hall of the Raven, and Beric tells her his story. The Raven is very interested, and when he finishes tells him of her own pact. The figure standing next to her calls itself Soul Reaper, and she says they can join their pieces of the pact together and become strong enough to return him to his body in Eberron. Once back, he can continue the quest of completing the pact, which she believes will release the souls trapped there. Alternatively, he can stay with her in Dolurrh, ruling as part of her court. Being the last of his line with no heir, he could potentially become as powerful as her one day. No matter how nice it could be, Beric sees no way he could justify leaving all the souls of his ancestors trapped if there's something he can do about it, and chooses to return to Eberron. As they walk across the frozen wasteland of Dolurrh, the Raven gives Beric more information about the pact. She tells him of the Qabalrin and how they made a deal with a great entity, and how he can reform the sword into whatever shape he wants after the merging is complete. Beric asks that before he returns, he has a chance to say goodbye to his mother. The Raven waves her hand and a portal appears. Through it steps Urik, and the Raven gives them a moment to themselves. They're both quiet for a moment, and Beric tells her he's sorry to be going. Urik waves it off and tells him how proud of him she is. A lesser man would have chosen to stay. He's made a name for himself and will carry on the family legacy, and she couldn't ask for more. The portal reappears and the Raven steps through once again. She leads Beric to the cavern that Eladrin has used as his base of operations, and they see, through a wash a gray, the large crystal shard in the center of the room. Beric's body is strapped to it, and Eladrin on a table nearby. Drakir stands over him looking stern, and Dex and Therudak rush around, helping to prepare the ritual. A rip opens up and chaos breaks out as the lich appears once again. Hastily, the Raven and Beric merge their pacts. Soul Reaper and Curse-Bringer are thrown to the ground as cloaks, and as Beric summons the sword Soul Reaper wraps around it. Beric feels himself being pulled towards his body in Eberron, and the sword is plunged into his heart. Resurrection After Beric dies, Dex vehemently protects his body. After a scuffle with Drakir, the drow tells them of his shaman, and that he might be able to bring Beric back.Though Drakir is doing it to get Curse-Bringer and not from the goodness of his heart. The two of them and Therudak bring him to the shaman, who turns out to be Beric's and Drakir's father, Eladrin. Eladrin is devestated that his son, who he never got to meet, is dead, and sends the party off to retreive the last ingredient he needs for a ritual he's been preparing; a Khyber dragonshard. When they return, Eladrin has them strap Beric's body to a massive Siberys shard in the middle of his workroom. Eladrin himself is tied to his worktable and tells them this is the cost of the ancient elven magic; a life for a life. As the light in the shard on Eladrin's necklace starts glowing, so does the Khyber shard they've placed in Beric's holy symbol. Light pulses from Curse-Bringer into the holy symbol, and it becomes enveloped in silvery light at the same time that Curse-Bringer is covered in shadow. The shard in Eladrin's necklace plunges into his chest, and at the same time Curse-Bringer starts floating away from Beric and takes a horizontal position, then plunges into him. Beric's eyes open and he begins to gasp for air. Relationships Storm Lord Omaren The party is invited to a gala at Varen Lassite's estate. White Dex and Therudak skulk around and feel out of place, Beric comfortably falls back on his practiced pleasantries, having grown up attending events that he didn't want to go to and where he didn't know anyone. After meeting Yorrick and Merrick and mingling some, a beautiful woman with raven hair speaks up from behind him and asks for him to get her a drink. Beric immediately leaves to get her a drink. They continue their flirting when he returns, Beric mentioning her fancy rapier and her noting that Beric is without a sword. Paulo offers to protect him if any fight should break out and and Beric assures her he's capable of handling himself. She starts sauntering off and smirks over her shoulder, saying she's quite sure of that. When the White Raven barges in and demands everyone's valuables, Paulo makes eye contact with Beric and gives him a challenging look, both hands resting on the hilt of her rapier.Despite this, she doesn't actually participate in the fight. Beric is immediately ready for a fight. He reaches out and touches Dex, turning both of them invisible. Right before he disappears, Beric locks eyes with Paulo and gives the least smooth wink imaginable. After the fight, having been stabbed through the shoulder and bleeding from an artery, Beric doesn't manage to hold back a wince when standing up to flirt some more with Lady Omaren. She's not impressed with his erratic fighting style but she likes it nonetheless. Physical Appearance At the start of the campaign Beric had ink black hair, palid, dusky skin, and black eyes. He didn't look particularly healthy, and could possibly have been mistake for a vampire. Post-resurrection he became more and more deathly looking, but after Erebus's possession ended thanks to the genie, he's back to looking like his normal vampire self. Beric makes a deal with Belashyrra that results in the loss of his eyes, and in their place is flesh covering his eye sockets.Ep. 106 Recovered Kingdom Chapter Eight Post-Dolurrh After Beric comes back from Dolurrh, his skin darkens to a genuine gray, instead of his regular ashen color. Very faint silver lines like the tribal drow crisscross his skin and his hair is streaked with gray and silver. Powers and Abilities Class Abilities Eldritch Invocations * Eldritch Sight * Mask of Many Faces Kensai Maneuvers * Hand of Force Feats * Prodigy Pact Abilities As Beric collects pacts and makes his own stronger, he unlocks special abilities from them. * +1 to AC * Cannot be Charmed or Freightened. Magical Auras In exchange for Belashyrra taking his eyes, Beric gains the ability not only to locate the Destiny Arms, but to see magical auras. He describes it as looking at a light and closing your eyes; you can still sense the light somewhat, and it's something to that effect.Ep. 108 Rising Tides Chapter One Spells Since Warlocks can swap spells every level, some of these may no longer be on Beric's spell list. Previous Items Previous Quotes "I'm not a vampire." ''- Ep. 1. Dancing With Shadows: Chapter One'' "It's entirely on me, and all you want me to do is continue to fight evil and protect the good? That's... that's not intolerable." ''- Ep. 13 Eberron Double Feature!'' "This is probably not going to help assuage your concerns, but I'm not talking to myself, I'm talking to a voice I hear in my head that comes from my sword." ''- Ep. 16 Darkness Rising Chapter Three'' "What if this power inside me is evil? I'm not saying I'm evil, but what if this power inside me is?" ''- Ep. 23 The Journey Back Chapter 2'' "If you let the world burn down around you while you're trying to save it, then you've saved ashes." ''- Eberron Reduced Episode 2'' "I'm not interested in being your weapon. You are not what I made a deal wtih." "I never considered you a weapon, Beric. You're a solider. You always have been a soldier. You tried to run from that fate and it pulled you back." "Well I'm not interested in being in your army. And you're not the one we came to see." "Very well, Beric. Good. Luck." ''- Beric and the Raven, Ep 89 The Road Below Chapter Three'' "I've had, in a very, very short amount of time, an immense amount of experience of immortal and near-immortal creatures talking to me like they're the headmaster of a school and I've just been summoned to their office. I hate it more than I thought I could hate anything, and it makes me want to kill you." ''- Ep. 106 Recovered Kingdom Chapter Eight'' Trivia * Beric was taught to never take the stairs during a fire. Instead, always use your ability to Misty Step.It worked, after all; he got to the second floor faster than Dex and Therudak. Ep. 14 * He was also taught to never eat magical food.And apparently to never read magical books. Ep. 20 * Beric had a level of Sorcerer and Paladin before settling on Kensai starting on episode 50, and for a time was Pact of the Vessel, a homebrew pact Philip created. He was also the Shinobi subclass for Kensai while being possessed by Erebus. References and Footnotes Category:Player Characters Category:Half-Elf Category:Drow